The Big Library Debate comes to Biggleswade

Residents across Central Bedfordshire are being encouraged to take part in the ‘Big Library Debate’ which will help shape the future of the service, making sure it meets the needs of future generations and offers best value for money.

To help improve the service Central Bedfordshire Council want to hear residents views on how libraries could be more efficient and flexible to meet peoples needs. They are holding a series of engagement activities.

In Biggleswade this will be held on 2nd July on the Saturday Market. There will be Library staff on hand to gather feedback. Leaflets and questionaires will be availble.

You can have your say on the Big Library Debate by completing the online form or by contributing online at  www.letstalkcentral.com by 13 July 2011.

For more information please speak to a member of staff at the library or contact Nicola Avery on 0300 300 8053 or email nicola.avery@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

Biggleswade Town Council Accounts year ended 31st March 2011

Wanting to start early this year I sent an email, on the 19th June, to the Town Clerk, as a formal Freedom of Information Request.

_________________________________________

Council Accounts year ended 31st March 2011

Can you provide me a copy of the accounts by Friday 15th July 2011 (20 working days) at the latest.

Can you provide them in the same format as I eventually received them for last year. This should include:

"Budget Summary. - Budget Detail.

Budget Detail - By Centre - which covered Biggleswade Magistrates Court, Allotments, Street Lights, Burial Grounds, Car Parks, Market, Town Centre General, Grants, Capital Expenditure, Corporate Management, Democratic Rep'n & Mngmt, Civic Activities & Expenses, Recreation Grounds, Biggleswade CLF, Central Services, Outside Services."

If for whatever reason you decide you cannot provide them, as I am entitled to them in accordance with the Audit Commissions rules, I will need to know your reasons so I can refer to the Information Commissioners Office.

________________________________________

Response from Town Council 23rd June 2011.

I can confirm that a copy of the “Unaudited Accounts” for the year ended 31^st March 2011, are now ready for your collection. I have provided you with a copy in the current format that we have them, as we are not required to provide them in any other format. The document is a total of 13 pages @ £0.10 a sheet, £1.30.

These were approved at the Council meeting on 21st June 2011 for the submission to the External Auditor.

__________________________________________________

The external auditor told me that the audit period starts on 29th July and finishes on 30th September 2011. The Town Council usually open the accounts for inspection during August, so you have to be quick if you have any questions of the auditor.

_______________________________

I collected and paid for "the accounts" on the morning of 24th June, but my hopes were dashed.

______________________________________

My email to Town Council in the afternoon of 24th June.

The statement of accounts, that I have collected and paid for this morning are not what I requested. I am getting a bit fed up paying out monies for documents I did not ask for, as I did a number of times for last years accounts.

I am not sure what you mean by “as we are not required to provide them in any other format”. You produce the accounts by budget detail, which is what I want. I do not want to get into protracted correspondence or an argument about this.

__________________________________________________________

FOI Act 2000 paragraph 1.

(1) Any person making a request for information to a public authority is entitled-

(a) to be informed in writing by the public authority whether it holds information of the description specified in the request, and

(b) if that is the case, to have that information communicated to him.

______________________________________________________________

I repeat my Freedom of Information request.

Can you provide me a copy of the accounts by Friday 15th July 2011 (20 working days) at the latest.

Can you provide them in the same format as I eventually received them for last year. This should include:

"Budget Summary. - Budget Detail.

Budget Detail - By Centre - which covered Biggleswade Magistrates Court, Allotments, Street Lights, Burial Grounds, Car Parks, Market, Town Centre General, Grants, Capital Expenditure, Corporate Management, Democratic Rep'n & Mngmt, Civic Activities & Expenses, Recreation Grounds, Biggleswade CLF, Central Services, Outside Services."

If for whatever reason you decide you cannot provide them (in this format), as I am entitled to them under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I will need to know your reasons so I can refer to the Information Commissioners Office. If I do not receive them by the above stated date I will automatically go to the ICO.

 

__________________________________________________________________

 

Here we go again !!!!!!!!!

Biggleswade Town Council Accounts - year ended 31st March 2010 - auditors

You may recall that I first asked for a copy of the accounts in August 2010 and finally received them in February 2011.

Accounts saga link - http://biggleswadeonline.blogspot.com/2011/02/biggleswade-town-council-accounts-year_22.html

Whist awaiting for the accounts, on the 9th January2011, I asked the Town Clerk:

The application for planning permission for health centre is outside the normal powers and duties of Biggleswade Town Council as summarised by the NALC and various Acts of Parliament.......

By your own admission the minutes of the Public Land and Open Spaces Committee of 16th June 2009 do not reflect the discussions that took place and do not record any authority for expenditure, which ended up being approximately £60,000. They do not even mention a health centre. As these minutes were adopted by Council on 23rd June 2009, without amendment or comment, they stand as a "true record of the meeting". In other words there is no formal authority for the expenditure.

Whilst I await the accounting information I have requested, can you tell me how this application was funded and expenditure allocated within the Town Council Accounts?

The  response I received, after I had finally got a copy of the accounts breakdown was

"I believe the auditor will be responding to you on this matter."

I wrote both to the internal and external auditor in February 2011:

I am writing to you as you are the external and internal auditors to Biggleswade Town Council.

In May 2010, Biggleswade Town Council applied for outline planning permission for a Health Centre, sports pitches, changing facilities with car parking, relocation of allotments, travelling show peoples site, woodland, meadowland and children’s play area. The application was finally refused in January 2011, although the Council are talking about making an appeal.

I am sure you are aware that a health centre is not within the remit of Biggleswade Town Council. 

Having not been able to find the authority for this expenditure in the online minutes, I asked the Town Clerk in May 2010, when this was given and where it was minuted. He advised me that the Public Land and Open Spaces Committee of 16^th June 2009 recommended it for approval under “Proposed Biggleswade Sports, Leisure and Community Village”. (minutes enclosed). He tells me that as it was not brought up  under matters arising at  the next full Council Meeting then it was approved. The minutes do not show that and the Town Clerk has admitted (email attached) that the minutes do not reflect the discussion that took place !! 

So there is no minuted authority, so no authority ? 

Finally, after eight months of battling with the council, I have got a copy of the breakdown of the accounts. There is a budget item under Capital of £50,000 entitled Saxon Sports Village, which apparently is the title the Council are using for the planning application. I am not sure where the actually expenditure is shown. It is not immediately apparent.

As auditors I would have thought that you would have been looking for documented authority for such a large element of the Town Council expenditure and satisfied yourself it was in place. Perhaps you have seen it.

I would be grateful for your views on this matter.

I sent both letters, to be signed for.

The internal auditor responded saying that they were due to undertake a visit to the Council in the next two to three weeks and will pursue this matter further with the Clerk at the time, after which they hoped they would be in a position advising the results of their enquiries. I had not received any response from the internal auditor so I emailed then on the 26th March and again on the 6th April 2011.

The response I finally received was:

Thank you for your reminder. I will respond in due course, as and when I have had an opportunity to review the issue in full and discuss the matter with the external auditor. Unfortunately, from you viewpoint, we are now in our busiest period of the year and I am out at clients virtually every day of the week (and also at weekends): consequently, queries such as yours, can only be dealt with as and when I have a few spare moments.

I emailed the internal auditor -

I do not feel my genuine concerns are being taken seriously. As you know I initially wrote to yourself and the external auditor and it looks as if I will need to contact them again.

I wrote to the external auditor again and their initial response was they did not get my February 2011 letter. When I produced a signed docket for the letter, the answer was the letter did not get to the right person!!

On the 14th June 2011 their final answer was basically you did not ask questions in the relevant time period (ended 30th September 2010) and they cannot reopen the audit for further questioning!!! Any other questions about the accounts I should sort out with the Council.

On the 18th June I asked the Town Clerk:

Having been in contact with both internal and external auditors, I have been advised that the council should provide me with the information I requested.

So can you tell me by return (20 working days have long gone) as I previously asked:

  

“how this application was funded and expenditure allocated within the Town Council Accounts?”

I do not anticipate receiving an answer any time soon, so I will be preparing a case for the Information Commissioners Office for non compliance.

Biggleswade Town Councillors Contact Details - revised again

The following list has been revised again. This is because the email address for Wendy Smith, Deputy Mayor is incorrect, as supplied to me by Biggleswade Town Council, reproduced in the Town Annual Assembly booklet and published in the Bulletin. This was picked up by someone trying to email the Deputy Mayor.

<><> CONTACT DETAILS<>	TELE No.<>	email<>	OTHER INFO<><>
<> <>	<>	<>	<><>
<> Albone, Cllr David 48 Drove Road, Biggleswade SG18 8HD<>	01767 221385<>	david.albone@ntlworld.com <>	<><>
<> Bond, Cllr Ian J Shortmead House, Shortmead Lane, Biggleswade SG18 0FG <>	01767 313663<>	ian@shortmeadhouse.com<>	<><>
<> Briars, Cllr Bernard V 61 Rowan Crescent, Biggleswade SG18 0PG<>	01767 313197<>	bbriars@btinternet.com<>	<><>
<> Lawrence, Cllr David J 43 Shortmead Street, Biggleswade SG18 0AT<>	01767 316030<>	david.lawrence@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk<>	<><>
<> Lawrence, Cllr Mrs Jane G 43 Shortmead Street, Biggleswade SG18 0AT<>	01767 316030<>	jane.lawrence@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk<>	<><>
<> Mulchrone, Cllr Ms Sarah J The Rose, 75 High Street, Biggleswade, SG18 0JH <>	01767 312873<>	rosepub@hotmail.co.uk<>	<><>
<> Ramsay, Cllr Mrs Hazel 56 Holme Court Avenue, Biggleswade, SG18 8PE<>	01767 312874<>	h.ramsay@talktalk.net<>	<><>
<> Russell, Cllr Mrs Madeline Ann 31 I vel Gardens, Biggleswade, SG18 0AN<>	01767 312966<>	wychbrook@yahoo.co.uk<>	<><>
<> Skinner, Cllr Rex GC 6 Rowan Crescent, Biggleswade SG18 0PF<>	01767 600196<>	rex_skinner@hotmail.co.uk<>	<><>
<> Smith, Cllr Mrs Wendy P 7 Brunel Drive, Biggleswade SG18 8BT<>	01767 313062<>	wendysmith194@btinternet.com	Deputy Mayor<><>
<> Vickers, Cllr Peter F 5A St Andrews Street, Biggleswade SG18 8BA<>	01767 316568<>	peter.vickers@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk<>	<><>
<> Watkins, Cllr Steven 85 The Rowlands, Biggleswade SG18 8NZ <>	01767 314489<>	watkins.steven@hotmail.co.uk<>	<><>
<> Wilson, Cllr George ED 5 Jasmine Close, Biggleswade SG18 8SW <>	01767 600816<>	gwilson814@btinternet.com<>	<><>
<> Woodward, Cllr Peter 136 Drove Road, Biggleswade SG18 0HN<>	01767 223968<>	peter.woodward20@ntlworld.com<>	<><>
<> Woodward, Cllr Timothy P 6 Ivel Mill, Mill Lane, Biggleswade SG18 8AZ<>	01767 312100<>	tim@ivelmill.com<>	Mayor<><>

Biggleswade Town Council Web site

27th June 2011

To Town Clerk to Biggleswade Council and all Council Members

On the 15th July 2010, almost one year ago, I wrote to you with proposals for a much-needed Biggleswade Town web site that serves the needs and profile of the town; the current one is totally unacceptable. Since then nothing has happened. I am aware that the Biggleswade Town Council had budgeted in that year far more for a web site than this would have cost and this went unspent.

This is a matter that is fully within the remit of an unaccredited Town Council.

Please ensure that you raise both my proposal and concern that nothing has happened in 12 months as individual agenda items for consideration by the next full Biggleswade Town Council.

 

The provider of dedicated websites for Parish and Town Councils is called ParishCouncil.net and can details can be found on http://www.parishcouncil.net/ They are still the providers of the excellent web sites that I have given as examples in my letter of July 2010.

You will be pleased to know that the cost for the full Gold package is unchanged from 12 months ago is still only £800; that is £500 for development and £300 for annual hosting.

Note that several of the councils on the links below have Quality Parish Council Status!

I have re-sent here the same documents that I provided to you last year.

You will note that I have communicated this letter to:

Biggleswade Town Councillors (Blind Copies for consideration)

Biggleswade Town Plan Steering Group (for consideration)

Biggleswade Chronicle (for publication)

Biggleswade OnLine Blog (for publication)

Note that I have absolutely no connection with the company I am recommending and have nothing to gain personally; this proposal is solely for the benefit of Biggleswade.

Yours sincerely,

Mr MJ Strange

From: Mike Strange

To: "Rob McGregor" <town.clerk@biggleswadetowncouncil.gov.uk>

Subject: Council Web Site Proposal

Date sent: Thu, 15 Jul 2010 10:47:15 +0100

Hi Rob,

Here is the package of information about the company I mentioned to you, ParishCouncil.net.

For them to be of any use to you it is essential that you disconnect the web site from IT maintenance. As I said before that are two totally separate technologies and have absolutely no need to be managed by the same company and this one is not interested in being involved with the IT systems.

Here are a set of documents that I have had since February writing until the time seemed right for you to be interested in having a look.

Please do get in touch with Neil, mention my name to him as he was asking recently if I had taken it further and had to say I had not.

I would say - go for Gold at £500 fixed cost and £300 per year it is peanuts for a really quality product that provides so many of the features that people have said they want.

To name but a few of their sites take a look at:

http://www.penselwood.parishcouncil.net/

http://www.sawtry.parishcouncil.net/

http://www.quarndon.parishcouncil.net/

http://www.wymondley.parishcouncil.net/

http://www.nuthurst.parishcouncil.net/

http://www.crowthorne.parishcouncil.net/legal.php

http://www.hagley.parishcouncil.net/

http://www.credenhill.parishcouncil.net/index.php

http://www.wembdon.parishcouncil.net/index.php

I do not know which package each one has but they give a great idea of what others are enjoying!

If you want to chat more then I am always available.

best regards,

Mike

London Road Retail Park, Biggleswade - M&S Coming?

I read today in the Biggleswade Chronicle and in the CBC press release :

http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/news/news/june-2011/mandsbiggleswade.aspx

that Marks & Spencer have agreed terms to open a store on the London Road Retail Park which will provide the full range of goods that they sell including clothing, furniture, homewares and their range of food and wines.

Over the years a number of food retailers have looked at this area only to be told it is designated retail warehousing (non food).

In August 2005, application MB/05/00851 for  a food outlet was refused, and one of the reasons for refusal was :

"The application site is safeguarded for retail warehouse development and the proposal would undermine the purpose of this designation."

The only planning application I can find for this site which is still valid is MB/06/01891 (outline). The 18th March 2008 decision notice states:  "The development hereby approved shall be for Non Food Retail Sales.."

The application for reserved matters MB/08/00517 approved July 2008, again said : "The development hereby approved shall be for Non Food Retail Sales.."

Unless I have missed something somewhere, the site is still designated for retail warehouse development, non food, unless of course you know differently.

LBX will be hosting a public exhibition of their plans for the site on Friday, 1st July between noon and 7pm at London Road Retail Park. If given the go-ahead, work will start next year.

Weeds, weeds, weeds - latest

Yesterday (22nd June 2011) I had a long and very useful conversation with the Area Steward for Biggleswade, who was very helpful.

When he received my email of 6th June he asked their landscaping team when was the last time Biggleswade was sprayed. He is still waiting to be told when this was, but he thinks it was probably in October 2010, 8 months ago. Him asking the question prompted the spraying which commenced on the 16th June and should be completed by now, subject to weather conditions. You may have seen operatives on quad bikes doing the spraying. It was not a coincidence.

NOTE: At the Town Assembly on 24th May 2011, the issue of weeds around the town was raised by a member of the public, as it had apparently already been raised with the Town and District Council and no action appeared to have been taken. I remember the "Town Council representatives" making reassuring noises to suggest they were aware of this problem and somebody did go round from time time! The Area Steward has not had anybody apart from me approach him about this.

The Area Steward has been in touch with the Service Manager at Central Bedfordshire and has requested that the mechanical sweeper starts going round in a couple of weeks, when the weedkiller has taken effect. Note sure when the sweeper last went round. If there are areas where that does not clear the gutters satisfactorily then this would need to be done manually. This is labour intensive (expensive) and would only be done in the worst case situations.

Gullies (drains) are cleaned out on a three cycle unless there is a blockade.

Weeds - an update

6th June 2011 - my email to the Area Steward for Biggleswade

This is about the weeds that are beginning to take over parts of Biggleswade and blocking up the gutters. Although I notice that along the London Road the pavements and gutters appear to be clear of weeds.

I have attached some photgraphs of typical problems, these being outside Mead End shops. Can you advise what program there is for clearing gutters and spraying weeds.

6th June 2011 - response

We carry out a number of weed spraying operations throughout the season in Central Bedfordshire on a cyclic basis, I will check when this area was last sprayed, when it is due to be sprayed next and will reply to you by email.

Please bear in mind that the chemicals we are allowed to use for weed spraying only kill existing weeds that have leaves etc, and have no residual effect on the soil.

9th June 2011 - my email back to Area Steward.

Spraying of weeds does not address the other problem I brought to your attention. The blocking of gutters by debris.

This debris does not accumulate in days, it must take a period of many months. This then provides the medium for weeds to grow in. Killing the weeds in the gutter is not the complete answer, it just provides more debris. The mechanical sweeper, which I have not seen for some time, does not clear the gutters effectively and cannot do so where care are regularly parking, albeit for short periods like at Mead End shops.

Can you tell me how you are going to address this problem?

18th June 2011 - my follow up email

By the time you read this email it will be two weeks from the time I sent you my original email. I would have thought that would have been ample time to provide the information on the spraying of weeds.

I would also like a resonse to my email of the 9th June 2011.

20th June 2011 - response from Area Steward

The latest weed spraying in Biggleswade was carried out Thursday 16th June 2011, this is likely to take a week or so for the results to become noticeable.

Gullies are cleaned on a three year cycle as they generally do not become full of silt in this amount of time, some however, do fill more quickly and we will clear these as necessary.

Could you provide specific locations of those affected gullies so we can arrange for them to be cleared?

21st June 2011 - my response to Area Steward

Was that all of Biggleswade on Thursday 16th June, I suspect not. Can you tell me where the spraying took place?

You were going to tell me when the spraying was last carried out. Can you do that please?

21st June 2011 - response from Area Steward.

Around 80% of Biggleswade was weed sprayed last Thursday, the landscape team are hoping to complete the remaining 20% today and they will continue if they do not finish the spraying today.

As for the gutters as opposed to gullies this sweeping is carried out by Central Bedfordshire council and I have been in contact with their service manager to request sweeping is commenced in a couple of weeks when the weed killer has taken affect. If you have any information regarding the worst areas this would be useful so we can target them first.

The spraying on the 16^th June was the first spraying of this financial year.

22nd June 2011 - my email

For some reason you seem to be reluctant to tell me when weed spraying was last carried out in Biggleswade. I would like to know please?

I do not believe in coincidences and that weed spraying was planned for the 16th June prior to my email of 6th June. I did see two small vehicles carrying out weed spraying on the path and in the gutter yesterday morning along Holme Court Avenue.

You have now started talking about gutters and gullies and a split in responsibilities.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary:

Gutter – a channel at the side of the street for carrying off rainwater.

Gully – a narrow channel formed by the action of rainwater, a gutter or drain.

Can you tell me what your definition of gutters and gullies is?

Beds Police Ringmaster Service - Dells Lane, Biggleswade

 

This is a Ringmaster message from Bedfordshire Police.

Please pass the details of this message, onto any friends and neighbours. Bedfordshire Police ask local residents to be vigilant, and to report anything suspicious immediately.

Bedfordshire Police are seeking witnesses to 3 incidents of arson that took place in Dells Lane, in Biggleswade on Friday the 17th of June.

All 3 fires were reported around 4:00 p.m.

3 garages have been set alight. One fire has spread to the back garden causing damage to the fence and shed.
Another fire has spread to the vehicle parked inside. The vehicle was a Blue, H registered, Vauxhall Nova.

If you have any information about these incidents please contact the Police.

In the event of fire.

Get out! Stay out! Call the Fire Service!

For more information please visit www.bedsfire.com.

For more information on reducing crime visit

 

http://www.safer-beds.org/rmwebportal/rm_desktop/files/Crime%20Reduction%20-% 20Introduction.html

If you have any information about this crime or other suspicious incidents, please call the Police Control Centre on (01234) 841212, and quote crime reference, J,D,/,2,5,6,9,1,/2011.

Alternatively text your message to (07786) 200011 or email your message to

 

chc@Bedfordshire.pnn.Police.uk

Or call Crime stoppers in confidence on (0800) 555111.

Thank you for your support.

---

National Bike Week

Team Green Britain Bike Week 2011 is taking place 18th - 26th June nationwide.

To celebrate National Bike Week, Sandy and Biggleswade are running events on Sunday 26th June to support the UK’s biggest mass participation cycling event with Team Green Britain of Bike Week, with two cycle rides crossing Biggleswade Common.

Both rides will start simultaneously from the Market Squares at 10:30am, with registration at 10:00am, and will take a course to the other town via Biggleswade Common, travelling in opposite directions.

The events are free to enter, suitable for the under 16s and are not connected to fundraising.

Link to CBC :

http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/news/news/june-2011/BikeWeek.aspx

Link to Team Green web site:

http://www.bikeweek.org.uk/index.php